Automatic train-stop.



0. A. BENEFIEL.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN ST OP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1914.

1&06 6577. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 swims-sun 1.

0. A. BENEFIEL.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP.

APPUCATION FlLED SEPT. 9. 19M.-

QDUS A. BENEFIEL, OF BUSHVILIJE, MISSOURI.

monomeric 'rnAIn-s'ror.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, 1916.

Applicationfiled September a, 1914. Serial No. 860,879.

To all 1117mm it may concern Be 1t known that I, Oons A. BENEFIEL,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Rushville, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto- I matic Train-Stops; and I do hereby declare the followingto-be a fulhclear, and exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic train stops which embody electrical means con'- 1 trollable lay-the operation 1 of a semaphore blade for closing an electrical circuit be-' tween electromagnets carried by an engine for automatically applying the air brakeand cuttingofl' the steam supply when the same endeavors to pass a semaphore which is set as a dangerous signal. Another object of this invention is the provision of a short rail interposed within the railway track which is insulated from the electrically connected rails for preventing persons from accidentally stepping upon the two rails and short circuiting the electrical current.

' 'Withtheforegoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of; construction, combination and arrangement of parts. as will be hereinafter.

more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and cl-aimed.

In describing the inventiqn in detail reference will be had to theqaccompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in wh1ch:

' Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved automatic train stop showing the same applied to an ordinary locomotive and showing the semaphore and the connections therewith in perspective. Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation of the electrically op- -'-2 erated mechanism for automatically cutting ,cfl the steam flow to the steam chest. Fig.

" 3 is a view in side elevation of the air brake operating mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation of the means of making breaking the electrical circuit upon the actuation of the semaphore blade. .Fig. 5 is a plan view of the air brake operatlng mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 1 designates an ordinary semaphore supporting post which has an ordinarysein- 'aphore blade 2 carried by' the-upper end thereof, which semaphore blade is controlled in the ordinary manner from the signaling station. This semaphore blade is raised or lowered to indicate danger or safety for a train passing the semaphore. The semaphore blade 2 has a lever or rod 3 connected thereto, which extends downwardly alo'ng the exterior of the semaphore post and has its lower end loosely connected to an angled lever 4, which is pivoted at 5 or'at the conjunction of the two arms, to a block 6 which is carried by the semaphore post 1. The angled lever 4 is pivotally connected at 7 to a bar 8, which bar is in turn pivotally conn'ected at 9 to alever 10. The lever lOis pivoted intermediate its ends as at 11 to a block 12, which block is provided with an arcuate slot 13 in which is seated an enlarged head 14 formed upon the upper end of the lever 10. The head 14 is connected to an electrical conductor 15 which electrical conductor is connected to one pole-of a battery, while theslot 13 has a contact 16 mounted therein which is connected'through the medium of an electrical conductor 17 to the opposite pole of a battery or other suitable electrical supply source. The head 14 which forms the contact, is movable within the arcuate slot 13 for engagement with or movement out of engagement with the contact 16, depending upon the direction of the operation of the lever 10 and the bar '8. Thehead 14 and the contact 16 are electrically connected to'one of therails 18 of an ordinary railway track. The electrical supply source indicated by a battery 20 in Fig. 1 of the drawings is electrically connected to a rail 21, through the medium of a conductor 22. The rails 18 and '21 have interposed between their facing ends a short rail 23, which is insulated, by means of insulating plates 24, fromthe rails 18 and 21 so that it will be impossibh'e ior person walking'along the track to step upon the rails which are electrically charged and form a short circuit.

.through the rails 18 and 21 when a short rail 23 is bridged by a train. When the semaphore is iowered to indicate safety for the passage of a train the contact head 14 is e V 16 and the circuit is broken at this point.

I ing the rod 38 more fully described. of the engine is insulated from the axle any suitable manner.

The engine carried mechanism consists of the various parts which will be hereinafter The front pilot wheel 31 upon which it is mounted and it has a plate 32 secured thereto, which plate has an electrical conductor 31 electrically connected thereto. The electrical conductor 31 extends rearwardly alongthe side of the engine 33 and is connected to one terminal of the winding of the solenoids 34 and 35, which windings have their opposite terminals connected to the rear track wheels 36 of the engine by an electrical conductor 37 The solenoid 34 has a central rod or armature 38 mounted therein which is insulated from the solenoid and has a plate 39 mounted thereupon, which plate normally rests in spaced relation with one end 40 of the solenoid, so that when the solenoid 34'is energized the plate 39 will be attracted by the end 40, for forc= longitudinally.- The rod 38 is pivotally connected to alever 41,- which lev er is supported within the engine cab in The lever' 41 is pivotally connected to a rod 42, which rod 9X1- with the-rod 42.

tends out of the cab of the engine longitudinally beside the boiler, and has its outer end connected to an angled lever 43. The angled lever 43 is pivotally mounted at 44 upon the sides of the boilers of the engine 33, and it'has a valve stem 45 connected to the end of the arm which is free from connection The valve stem 45 is associated with the valve (not shown) which is mounted in a valve casing 46, which casing is interposed in the steam connection be tween the steam chamber of the boiler of the engine and the steam chest 47, so that when the valve stem 45 is moved longitudinally, in the direction indicated by the ar,

' row A in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the passage mounted thereupon.

v seated between the of steam through the steam pipe 48 which leads to the steam chest 47, will be cut ofi.

The solenoid '35 has a rod 50 slidably mounted therein, which has "a. plate 51 The plate 51 is normally spaced from the end of the solenoid so that when the solenoid 35 is energized, the magnetic attachment of the same will attract the plate 51 toward the end 52 of the solenoid, and move the rod 50 longitudinally therein. The rod 50 is pivotally connected to alever 53, which lever is in turn pivotally connected to a link 54. The link 54 has reduced, which" reduced end is arms 56 and 57 of the link 58'. The link '58 is connected to the air brake controlling lever 59, so that when the rod 50 is moved longitudinally within the solenoid 35, and the lever 53, and links 54 brake controlits end 55 V4?, and apply the air brake for the brakes on the train.

In the operation of the improved electri cally operated automatic train stopz' whenv the semaphore'bladie is set to designate danger, the head 14-is-moved so that a circuit will be closed between the electrical supply source 20 and the rails 21 and 18 will be charged with the current from the opposite poles of the battery. When an engine moving along the track is moved so that the forward pilot wheel 30 will engage the rail 18 and the rear track wheel 36 will engage the rail 21, a circuit will be closed through the various electrical connections carried by the engine, which will energize .both the solenoids 34 and 35, and synchronously cut off the supply of steam to the steam chest instantaneously. stopping the train.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings a modified form I of the contact which is operable by the semap'horeblade is shown. This modified form embodies a pair of plates 60 and (Bl-which are disposed in alinementwith each other.

The plate 61 is connected to the rail 18 by an electricalconductor '17, while the plate 61 is connected to the battery 20 by an electrical conductor 15. The plate (31 is pivotally carried by the lever 62, which lever is connected through the medium of a link- 63 and an angled lever 64 with the vertical rod 3 of an ordinary Upon the actuation of the semaphore signal, the rod 62 which pivotally supports the plate (31 will be moved in an oscillatory manner for moving the plate ,61 into or out of contact with the plate 64'closing a circuit for performing functions indent-ical with the operation of the head 14 and the contact 16 heretofore described. I 1

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation of the improved automatic train stop will to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and, while in the forebe readily apparent semaphore signal;

going description, the principle of the operation of this invention has been described together with the various features of construction, 1t is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical conditions provided such alterations are comprehended within the scop." of what is claimed.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In combination with a locomotive pro vided with electrically controlled automatic stopping means its pony truck insulated from the axle thereof, a pair of alining rails, the adjacent ends of said rails being spaced, said rails being adapted to carry electric current, asection' and having the wheelsof of rail insulated from and secured to the rails to form a substantially continuous rail and to prevent the rails from being electrically connected except when the locomotive bridges said rail and thereby causes the stop mechanism to be operated.

2. In a train stop, a locomotive provided with he usual steam dome, steam chest, pipe for 0 meeting the steam dome and steam chest and a throttle valve for controlling the flow of the steam from the dome into the steam chest, agate valve mounted in said pipe between the throttle valve and v the steam chest, electrical means contro the operation of said. gate Villa 3111111 valve,

electrical means controllin g the operation of the airlvalve'jthe steam and air valve controlling means being in series, wheels carried byand insulated from the pony truck of the locomotive, a wire leading from said wheels to the steam valve controlling means, a wire connecting the steam valve controlling means with the air valve controlling means, a wire connecting the air valve controlling means to the frame of the locomotive, a pair of track rails 1n spaced relation and arranged in longitudinal alinement, a rail section of less length than the length of the locomotive connecting the rails and being insulated therefrorpg a power source, a wire connecting one terminal of the power source to one of the rails, an automatically operated switch, a wire connecting the opposite terminal of the power source to one pole of said switch, a wire connectingethe opposite pole of .the switch with the other rail and means to close the switch upon the movement of a semaphore arm into its danger positioned near the rails, a semaphore armat. the upper end of the semaphore, a switch, one vpole of said switch being connected to oiie of the rails, a power source, one terminal of the power source being connected to the opposite terminal of the switch,

the opposite terminal of the power source being connected to the other rail and means connecting the semaphore arm with the switch whereby upon the movement of the semaphore arm into danger indicating position, the switch will be closed, thereby charging both rails and causing the current to flow through the train stopping mechanism, when the locomotive bridges the rail section.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

onus A. BENEFIEL.

Witnesses:

FRED M; ALLIsoN, EDWARD O. ALLISON. 

